Keeper’s ‘schoolboy error’ costs Montrose as they settle for draw

A disastrous mistake deep in stoppage-time by keeper Aaron Lennox cost Montrose two points as they try to finish in the top five when League One splits in just over a week.

Manager Stewart Petrie said: “It is gutting to lose two points to a mistake like that. In the first half we were excellent, but in the second we were really poor.

“We lost a bad goal early in the second half. That got them on the front foot and they put us under pressure.

“It was a schoolboy error by Aaron and he knows that himself. He will catch that ball 99 times out of 100.

“Having said that the ball should not have been near our goal.

“We have some hard games coming up, but we will concentrate on Partick Thistle away on Thursday. The boys are down just now but we will pick them up.

“We have to face three full-time teams in the space of seven days and my boys know they will have to do better than they did in that second half.”

Montrose started well and, on six minutes, Lewis Milne curled a shot wide of the post.

Chris Mochrie had a shot saved, then on 11 minutes Cammy Ballantyne hit the side net.

The home side took the lead on 30 minutes. Andy Steeves linked with Mochrie and passed to Cammy F. Ballantyne and the midfielder shot into the bottom corner.

Montrose added a second on the stroke of half-time. Graham Webster did superbly on the right and his cross was knocked into his own net by ex-montrose man Sean Crighton.

On 51 minutes Carrick headed the ball into the box and it came off the head of Russell Mclean for an own-goal.

Airdrie had their tails up and Turner shot wide, then Connell should have done better than blaze over from six yards.

In the fourth minute of added-time, a hopeful cross from Crighton inexplicably slipped through the hands of Lennox and dropped over the line.